Italy Guide
Marche
Portonovo
Only 11km from Ancona, PORTONOVO, nestling beneath Monte Conero, is a pleasant resort made up of a couple of campsites and a clutch of expensive hotels, one of which is sited in the Napoleonic fort that dominates the bay. The main attraction is the unbeatable scenery and the transparent water, and though the main pebbly pay-beach gets very busy in summer, it's easy enough to escape by walking about 1km to Mezzavalle beach (free) just north of Portonovo Bay or clambering over rocks to the few tiny beaches to the south.
Accommodation is stylish rather than budget: Emilia, Via Collina di Portonovo ( 
071.801.117, 
www.hotelemilia.com ; Price: €151-200), is a five-minute car journey inland – and uphill – from the beach. The walls are covered with a huge contemporary art collection, a legacy of the 1960s when artists paid for their stay with a piece of work; the filmmaker Nanni Moretti has also been a long-term guest. The hotel has a pool, rents out electric bikes for exploring the Monte Conero Park and offers a shuttle service to the beach. Down by the seashore the Fortino Napoleonico ( 071.801.450, www.hotelfortino.it ; Price: €151-200) was built on the orders of Napoleon to stop the English landing to take on fresh water from Monte Conero's springs. The hotel retains some military touches here and there but is generally rather chi-chi and grand. Otherwise there are two campsites: Camping Club Adriatico ( 071.801.170; May to mid-Sept) is slightly cheaper; if it's full, try the Camping Comunale La Torre ( 071.801.257; June to mid-Sept). As for eating, there's no better place to watch the sun go down than from the fashionable beach bar and restaurant Il Clandestino (March/April– Sept/Oct depending on the weather; to find it, follow the "Torre" signs). Susci Italiano is on the menu – like sushi in concept but using speciality olive oils and balsamic vinegar rather than wasabi and soy sauce.